Why do we need to write a tribute to swim parents? Because there wouldn’t be any good swimmers if there weren’t great swim parents behind them! SwimTopia was born from summer league swimming roots, and we all know summer swim teams couldn’t exist without an army of amazing swim parents. We talk to them and work with them every day so feel uniquely qualified to appreciate swim parents and be … [Read more...]
Swim Team Management
Volunteer Signups: How Does Your Team Manage Them?
The Pros and Cons of Different Ways of Collecting Volunteer Signups SwimTopia works with over 1800 swim teams around the country, so we’ve seen thousands of different ways that teams can manage their volunteers. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration. 😁 But teams can, and do, use many different strategies to manage their volunteers! Here we’ll explore some pros and cons of different ways of … [Read more...]
Getting Back in the Water Again: Safe Swim Practices and Virtual Meets
As some states are “opening up” on a limited basis, many teams will be using this time to plan a safe return to the pool. USA Swimming has posted guidelines for their teams to use while developing their plans to return to the pool safely, and we’d like to share those with you: USA Swimming's guidelines for Facility Re-Opening Messaging and Planning And what’s a swim season without swim … [Read more...]
Preparing for Summer Swim Team – Safely!
Tips and Tools for Getting Back in the Pool: Planning for Practices and Virtual Swim Meets Many people are starting to wonder when social distancing rules will be relaxed and what that might look like. Our swim teams and leagues are particularly interested in what relaxed rules could look like at swimming pools around the country. SwimTopia staff recently listened in on a webinar that included … [Read more...]
Summer League Swimming – A New Resource For Summer Swim Teams
At SwimTopia we are always looking for ways to help swim team administrators simplify running their swim teams. We’d like to share information about a newly launched resource specifically for summer swim teams: Summer League Swimming. Here is a brief message from Leah Hinnefeld, Director of Education and Marketing for Summer League Swimming, explaining how they can help your team: Summer … [Read more...]
Spring Demos and Trainings 2020
In-person Demos and Trainings Have Been Switched to Webinars With the spread of Covid-19 SwimTopia has decided to ground travel plans, replacing our in-person demos and trainings with webinars. See webinar signup information below. [Blog updated March 11, 2020] Targeted Webinar Demos and Trainings for Teams in the DC Area, Raleigh, and Charlotte Learn more about SwimTopia from our … [Read more...]
Converting Swim Times: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
Starting and Running a Sponsorship Program for Your Swim Team
Photo by pasja1000 Summer and high school swim teams are typically volunteer run, non-profit, organizations that try to keep membership costs low. How can teams afford to buy or upgrade the equipment needed for running meets (chairs, tents, stop watches, timing systems, flags, the list goes on), and maintain a coaching staff, on membership dues alone? A healthy sponsorship program is … [Read more...]
Notification Alerts Keep Your Team Up-To-Date
Use SwimTopia's Free Push Notification Alerts For Fast and Convenient Communication SwimTopia’s fast and free push notification alerts keep your team up-to-date on important communications. Why use SwimTopia’s alerts instead of a texting app? Flexibility: With SwimTopia’s push notifications, you can send targeted alerts to any group that you have always been able to email from SwimTopia. … [Read more...]
How SwimTopia pays for itself…and then some!
Photos [1] [2] by Gerd Altmann and Aquilatin, respectively Swim teams, especially summer and high school swim teams, run on tight budgets. Because they are largely volunteer-run and mostly non-profit, swim teams often find it challenging to provide quality swim programs for their community – at an affordable price – while staying financially afloat. For some teams, the total price of … [Read more...]